Association between freezing of gait and anticipatory postural adjustments in Parkinson's disease.
Ryo Onuma, Fumihiko Hoshi, Hiroshi R Yamasaki and 3 others
PMID 39354925WHAT IT FOUND
People with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait showed delayed and smaller anticipatory postural adjustments when standing on one leg.
These movement differences were distinct enough to separate those with freezing from those without, suggesting the pattern may serve as a biomarker for postural control problems.
Key findings
01Patients with freezing of gait had delayed peak latency and decreased peak magnitude of mediolateral acceleration during one-leg standing compared to healthy older adults and Parkinson's patients without freezing.
02The anticipatory postural adjustments ratio was significantly lower in the freezing of gait group and showed a threshold of 0.45 for discriminating this group from others.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small, with only 7 participants in each patient group. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether these movement patterns cause freezing or result from it. The authors note that the sample size was insufficient.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this measurement tool is ready for clinical use. The study used a smartphone app and a specific ratio calculation that has not been validated in a large group of patients, and the small sample size means the results could easily be different in other populations.